Battlescars

Disclaimer: I own nothing. All hail Queen Rowling.

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The Weasley and Potter families had always encouraged open and honest discussion. But some things always remained unspoken.

...

Fred always knew his father wasn't talking to him when George screamed out in his sleep. He knew the story of his uncle Fred. But he always wondered why his father looked so sad at Grandma Molly's annual gift of a plain Christmas jumper.

After he found a Hogwarts trunk stuffed full of them, and twenty photographs with two identical boys emblazoned with "F" & "G", he stopped wondering. He felt sad for his dad, and although he was only nine, wondered how he could fix the situation.

...

'Grandma Molly, could you help me with a Christmas gift for Dad this year?'

'Of course dear, what do you need?'

After Fred had explained his idea his Grandma had unexpectedly hugged him and given him some of her secret stash of biscuits, freshly baked. She promised to work on the problem right away and, after securing a few things from Fred himself, set to work.

Christmas morning that year was quite cold, fortunately. As soon as Fred got up, he slipped on his dressing gown to hide the surprise, then picked up the present and came downstairs.

Finally, after many hours, they were down to the last present. Fred handed his father his gift. He kept his dressing gown wrapped tightly around him, for fear it would slip loose and spoil the surprise. 'This one is from Grandma Molly,' he said. 'But I helped.'

George opened the gift without much interest. Another jumper, he suspected. No doubt his mother was trying to rope his son into taking up knitting. Well, at least a badly knitted one might excuse him from having to wear...and his heart caught in his mouth.

Across the front, knitted in gold thread, gleaming against the green was an enormous "G." He shook it out and stared at it. Then he watched as his son slowly took off his dressing gown to reveal an identical jumper, with an "F" across it.

His wife took one look at his face and promptly shooed her daughter into the kitchen, despite her protests. She closed the door and left them alone.

'Do you like it?' Fred said uncertainly. His father was very pale.

Somehow, George managed to speak around the lump in his throat. 'How did you find out?' he asked.

'I found the trunk,' Fred answered honestly. 'I thought...you'd like it? I thought that for one more Christmas there could be an "F" and "G" again.'

George choked at this and despite his best efforts, the tears slid down his cheek.

'Dad?' Fred said, worried.

George managed to control himself and pulled his son in for a hug. 'This is the best Christmas present ever,' he whispered into Fred's ear. 'Thank you.'

Fred hugged his dad back. 'Love you Dad,' he said.

When they all turned up at the Burrow later for Christmas dinner, George and Fred caused a sensation when they walked in hand in hand wearing their matching Christmas jumpers. There were a lot of tears from the women, a lot of suspicious turning away and quiet rubbing of eyes from the men and a loud demanding of photographs from Grandma Molly.

Although the nightmares didn't stop for George, now when he woke up he would look at the two framed photographs next to his bed; one of him and his twin in their matching Christmas jumpers, and the other of him and his son in theirs.

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Please Review! I have a number of other ideas, but I want opinions of this one first.